6

It's a powerful feeling to have three Seraphs in a house together. That was the feeling I had as I sat on the couch beside Chris and regarded the three that were standing near us.

Zane was seated with us while Mia and Sean sat on the opposite couch. So far things had seemed civil between him and Sean, and I hoped that it stayed that way, at least for Mia's sake. This had to feel a little bit awkward for her.

But I had the sense that she felt some peace too. She knew the truth about Zane and could finally tell him what had become of her life.

We weren't the only Nephilim in there either. Others had come with the three Seraphs. Micah had Carroll and Carlton with him. Malakai had brought Michael and seemed to be content with keeping Mia, Sean, and Sevee there for the time being. Kinsley had also brought two of his Nephilim, a man named Mark and a woman named Kira, both of whom we'd learned were his direct children.

Mark was very good looking, with golden blonde hair and violet eyes much like Kinsley's. He was fairly tall too and dressed casually in a white shirt and jeans. Kira looked more like Kinsley. She had a beautiful face with big violet eyes and long dark hair that was the same color as his. Both had spoken to us when they'd come in and seemed nice enough, but I sensed some apprehension from Mark. He seemed worried about their involvement in all of this.

"So, this is where we stand. How much longer do you think we have?" Kinsley was asking Micah.

"I'd say another two months or so. He is growing rapidly, but he also cannot increase some of the development without too much risk." Micah explained.

"And it has chosen to be a boy. How interesting. I've heard that two of the Seraphita have leaned towards being more feminine." Malakai pointed out.

"That is the rumor, but one can never be sure. We ourselves are ambiguous in true form. We only lean towards the masculine." Kinsley reminded him.

"Very true. Tell me, do we have an idea of which one this may be?" Malakai asked them.

"I believe that it could be the Northern. With everything I've felt from it, I'm fairly certain of it, but I'm still at a bit of a loss as to the timing of all of this, and this does seem to be a rather drastic measure to stop the hunts. It certainly could have used other means." Micah reasoned.

"What exactly do you mean by Northern? Are you talking about the stuff with each Seraphita representing a different directional point?" Chris asked them.

"We are. It's the easiest term we have to refer to the four Seraphita because each one has taken refuge in areas like a compass. One for North, one for South, and the other two for East and West." Micah explained.

"Is there a real difference between them?" Zane inquired.

Malakai shook his head, "Not for the most part. They're all extremely powerful, and all four are said to work under the Holy Trinity, but we have heard that they tend to specialize in certain things too. This one in particular is one of Redemption. He is the one that some of the Fallen risk their very existence to find, and that is because he can clear their souls and make them holy again." he explained.

His words caught everyone's attention.

"So, if they truly wanted it, this one could cleanse them?" Chris verified.

"Exactly, although I admit that not many of the Fallen would want that." Micah verified.

"Not at all. But some of us do."

All of us looked over to see Saffron leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed. It was strange, but no one seemed to have sensed him appearing there. Even the baby inside of me didn't seem bothered, though I was certain that he could clearly sense the presence of others like us or him.

"I see that one heretic did decide to show up, but it seems you've done well in this. You're quite calm in the presence of such tremendous holy power." Malakai noted.

"It's taken me much time to accustom myself to such presences, but now I am good to go, for lack of a better term. Jade is just about there as well, although he needs a bit more time. Now, will you welcome me, or will you shun me in front of my own?" Saffron responded. It was clearly a challenge to the three Seraphs.

The room became very quiet. I glanced at the other Nephilim around us. They were quiet yet remained on guard. I noticed Michael sit down beside Mia, and both him and Sean were being cautious.

Malakai broke the silence "Very well. As long as you cause no harm, then we will allow your presence. It seems that you've been looking for some benefits from this as well."

Mark looked a bit apprehensive, "Are you sure this is safe?" he whispered to Kinsley.

"There's no harm in it. He won't try anything with the three of us around and having him here will be beneficial in protection. Do not misjudge his power." Kinsley told him.

"Indeed, you should not. After all, luring others into a false sense of security is one of my specialties." Saffron bragged, smiling at them. This was his mock friendly smile. It was a pure lie that you could easily recognize once you got to know him.

"You will do no such thing, or I will send you back to the Abyss myself." Micah warned him.

Saffron wasn't intimidated, "Very well. I shall go by that much, although you cannot expect me to bend to your rules completely. I am not one to be confined."

"Great." Chris muttered. He glared at him, "No funny stuff with Ariana either. I know what you've done before."

"Not at all. You know I care about my child." Saffron countered.

"So, you always say." I heard Zane whisper.

Saffron ignored him. Giving me a smile, he stepped out, disappearing into the shadows of the hallway.

Sevee looked at Malakai as he did, "Okay, so we're just gonna let a demon stay here with us now?" he complained.

"There's no harm in doing such, and we will not allow him to do anything to anyone here." Malakai reassured him.

Michael appeared to be thinking it over, "He has something more in mind with this. It's written in his eyes." he commented.

Chris and I suspected that too. We'd always known that Saffron was an incredibly intricate planner. I wondered if he may have even foreseen this eventually happening, but that also seemed like a bit of a stretch. Even someone like Saffron couldn't have predicted a Seraphita's moves.

Yet I could help thinking that this turn of events was still somehow working to his benefit.

Micah agreed with Michael, "I wouldn't doubt that he has his own intentions with all of this, and Jade probably will as well. I'm almost counting on him to show up here eventually."

"Oh, he will. He's been way too interested in Ariana from the beginning to walk away now." Chris assured them.

"Whether he wants to admit it or not, Jade has a bit of a sentimental streak when it comes to certain others. He's followed that one soul for years because of it, and he probably sees Ariana as a connection to her." Malakai added.

Chris sat back, "I don't think that it's just that. Jade does things according to his own reasons, and I think part of it may also be because of her relation to Saffron. Those two have always been drawn to each other for whatever reason." he told them.

"You may be right." Kinsley lamented, "There is something more behind those two and their strange relationship that most simply do not see."

I wondered about that one as the evening turned into night. Even though I'd been hearing about it for over a year, I had never completely understood the connection between my father and Jade. There had obviously always been a rivalry between them. It was the one that had led to my birth. But thinking about it now, I had the feeling that it went deeper than just a rivalry.

I stood up from the porch swing and headed to the stairs. It was completely dark, and I could see the stars coming out like diamonds on a deep blue canvas. I thought about going back inside, but really didn't want to yet. I was enjoying the warm night air, and the silence that surrounded me, not to mention the little bit of time to myself.

This was something that had been pretty hard to come by in the last few days, considering that everyone around me seemed to be more than concerned about this pregnancy and my own well-being. Even with all the good intentions, it had felt almost suffocating at times, even with Chris. It was getting to be too much for me. I needed time to think about everything that was happening on my own.

Unfortunately, my personal space didn't last that long. As I stood at the top of the stairs, I realized that a figure was standing a few feet from them in the grass of the front yard, smiling at me with a hand on his hip. I sighed in relief as I realized that it was Saffron. It kind of surprised me that I hadn't realized he'd appeared. I had been getting pretty good at sensing him before he did.

"You've finally managed to get away from them for a while, and here I thought that Christoff would not allow you out of his sight for this incredible turn of events." he commented.

"Trust me, he's making sure that he isn't that far. But I'm going to guess that you wanted to talk to me. You were waiting to do it away from those angels." I confronted him as I carefully walked down the three steps. I didn't feel any fear of being close to him now. It was like something deep inside of me knew that he wouldn't hurt me.

Saffron stroked my hair back, bringing out his wings. I could see them clearly in the dim light from the moon rising overhead, and saw that they had changed. They didn't look bat-like anymore. They reminded me more of a raven's wings, with soft black feathers. But even more startling, on the edges of those feathers, there was another color starting to come through. It looked like a very dark blue.

I had to ask him about it, "Hey, what happened to your wings?"

"It seems that the Seraphita is willing to allow me a bit of leeway as long as I cooperate with this. I can't say that I mind it. I couldn't even recall having wings like this until now. It's rather nostalgic." Saffron confessed.

"Is it trying to make you like the Seraphs here?" I wondered.

I reached over and touched one of his wings. They were very soft; unlike the times I'd gotten to touch them before.

"Not quite. It's given me enough to keep myself level for now. However, this change is rather intriguing. I'm even seeing my original color coming through it." Saffron answered.

"Really?" I took a closer look, "So you had blue wings like Malakai's Nephilim?"

"Malakai has them too. We were originally created under the same flame, which is referred to as Sapphire." Saffron explained. He glanced at the house, then placed a hand on my back, "Come. Let us walk. We will not go far."

I was a bit apprehensive about doing that, but at the same time, I was also had to consider what I was seeing and hearing. Obviously this Seraphita had been making its own moves when it came to my father, and I was sure that the Seraphs were also watching what Saffron did very closely. So, I agreed.

The two of us walked the driveway that led to the house. I took the opportunity to ask him more about his past as we did. This was a side of Saffron that no one else seemed to know, say for perhaps some of the other Fallen and possibly the angels such as Malakai, Kinsley and Micah.

"Do you remember being like Malakai at one time, or at least somewhat like him?"

"I was close enough, and I will admit that I recall it quite well. It's something that I've never truly forgotten. I was just under the rank that these Seraphs are now, and at the time I did what I was meant to. But as the time went on, I came to find that I did not like certain things that I was coming to see. Even now I do not like it. There is such a mediocrity with Angels and far too many rules." Saffron explained.

"Too many rules huh?" I muttered, laying a hand over my bulge.

"Indeed so." Saffron agreed. He looked towards the sky, "Such strict rules can bend the minds of many Angels, not to mention some of what they may witness. There is not always the all forgiveness that some of the humans so love to preach. Lucifer and the first to fall were practically made to corrupt. That I and many others believe with all our being. This God that is so revered needed to balance out the powers. There can be no good without evil, there can be no life without death, and there can be no Heavens without the Hells."

He was right. There could be nothing without something to balance it out. That was how everything in these worlds worked.

"Does that mean that we're supposed to be balancing out those other Nephilim?" I asked him.

"Yes and no. Personally, I feel that there is no real difference. They're as flawed as you all are, and it seems even more so at times."

I looked up at the dark trees as he said that. As much as I hated admitting it, he was right. From what I'd been hearing from Lennox before, I was certain that the Nephilim born to the clans had just as many problems as we did, even if they were in a different context.

But before I could say any more, Saffron suddenly stopped. He put an arm in front of me, looking around us at the trees. I followed his gaze, not seeing anything that looked out of the ordinary. Yet Saffron was on guard, apparently sensing what I could not.

After another moment of standing there, Saffron brought out his wings again, "I know you're there. You cannot plan any sneak attacks on one like me." he warned whoever was apparently hiding.

The leaves of the trees about five feet in front of us rustled as a figure finally crept out from their hiding place in the branches. They jumped to the leafy ground, incredibly making no sound when they landed. I could see one set of large pink wings coming from their back as I stood up straight.

The figure was a young man with long dark hair and violet eyes. He was dressed in white and purple robes that fell down to his dark boots. He seemed to regard us with a quiet acceptance of being caught.

After another moment of staring each other down, the angel finally spoke.

"You're very good. Those others here have not even noticed me."

"I'm not surprised. One under the Pink Flame tends to be good at hiding when it suits them. Your kind often operates in the shadows hoping for peaceful outcomes." Saffron noted. He kept me partially behind him as he spoke, not taking any chances.

The angel's solemn expression didn't change, "Yes, that is so. However, this is more under orders for precaution at this time. I do not look for a fight with you unless you offer it."

A staff appeared in his hand with a bright flash of light. It had a large pink sphere on top that glowed with an ethereal light.

I looked back at Saffron, feeling anxious about this. If they fought here, I might have some problems protecting myself with the state I was currently in. But thankfully, Saffron seemed to be considering that as well.

"If it were under any other circumstances, I wouldn't hesitate to kill you, but there is too much risk to what I need right now, so state your business here and be gone." he ordered.

The angel remained where he was, not lowering the staff that he was currently pointing at him.

"Forgive me, but I do not take chances with a Fallen One, even if he has been affected by a Seraphita's power. However, I am not permitted to cause the girl harm either. I am simply here to observe what is currently happening and report it back to the counsel. It seems that they have had some concerns about these clans that have been sired and how they seem to be working with the Shadow Wings now, not to mention that the Seraphita have suddenly involved themselves in these events. It seems that hands are being forced because of what they have set in motion." he continued.

"Is that so?" Saffron didn't sound convinced.

Before anymore could be said, we became aware of someone else joining us. I glanced to my right to see Kinsley standing there.

"This is quite enough, Kelis. There's no need to cause any issues here." he told the angel.

The angel, whose name was apparently Kelis, backed down completely, "So, you are on their side as well, and here I didn't believe that such rumors were true." he commented.

"I do what I feel is right. You are all aware of that. I also know that you do not want to cause harm here. I can see it in your eyes." Kinsley responded.

"No, I have no reason to do so." Kelis agreed. He looked at me for a long moment as if he was studying me, then spoke again, "I do not trust heretics, whether they are influenced by the holy now or not. However, the children they create are different. I do not side with the fight against them. I have simply been ordered down here by my superiors to see what is currently happening with your clans and the Shadow Wings they've allied themselves with. It seems now that I will have much to report on, and perhaps it will work to the favor of all."

"Very well. Then please go ahead and take your leave. You don't want to stir up too much trouble here, and it may be better to make that report quickly, considering some of the attacks that have been staged already." Kinsley suggested.

Kelis agreed, "Very well. I wish you luck then Kinsley. You just may need it in the coming times."

With that, he closed his eyes and disappeared in a bright flash of light up through the trees.

Saffron regarded Kinsley quietly as he relaxed his stance, "You were expecting something like this." he concluded.

"I was, but there is no harm in it. Kelis wasn't here to cause trouble. He was simply observing for the higher order, which may help turn the tides in our favor once he reports back to them. However, I am certain that there will still be many others unlike him. Even with the protection here, there's no guarantee that we can stop all of them. The ones like the angel who attacked Ariana and the others on the highway are quite high level. It seems that Judiel has recruited more in this time then we'd originally anticipated." Kinsley admitted.

"Well then, we'll just have to put a quick stop to that. I for one have no problem with killing some more angels, no matter what this Seraphita has done to me." Saffron informed him.

"Of course you don't." Kinsley replied curtly. He wasn't bothered with his attitude. Instead, he gently laid a hand over my stomach. A warm glow came from it in response, "So, this is how it all may end. It almost seems fitting. A life for lives."

His words remained with me all through the night after that incident. A life for lives. Could that have been part of what this Seraphita had been talking about in my dream before I'd found out what he was doing? He must have known the impact that he would have on the spiritual world.

Looking over at Chris, who was sleeping beside me, I curled up to him and let out a long breath. I could feel a slight movement from the baby shifting inside of me. It was something that I'd been feeling in the last day or so. This was proof of how quickly all of this was going. But it made me a little bit nervous too. Just how soon was it going to be until I had this baby?

I was worrying about Chris as I watched him sleep. He'd been the one who was the most stressed about all of this. Even though he'd accepted this baby as ours and didn't care about where he had come from, I knew that he was still worried about what was happening. Chris desperately wanted to protect us, to protect our baby boy, but at the same time, he was afraid that he may fail. No matter how strong he was, something might come along that was stronger.

Deep in my heart, I knew that I couldn't really tell him for certain that everything about be okay. All I could do was support him as best I could. I just hoped that I'd be able to do enough to keep him from breaking down. No matter how strong he was, deep inside, he was still just a man.

I closed my eyes and allowed myself to fall into a light sleep as I held onto him. As I did, I began floating in the darkness of my mind.

But I wasn't alone.

A soft glow appeared in front of me, turning into Lennox's transparent figure. He was illuminated by a golden glow that surrounded his entire being, which lit up the darkness like a star in the night sky.

"Well, it looks like you've finally slept again. But it's been a very long day, hasn't it?" he said as he smiled at me.

"You haven't said anything." I sighed. I looked around us, taking in the darkness and silence, "Why are we meeting here? You usually just talk to me or appear whenever you want."

"I know, but I can't anymore. My time's just about up in this existence."

"What do you mean?"

"Just what I said." Lennox reiterated, "I'm being integrated into the Seraphita's soul now. I'd imagine that by tomorrow night I will be completely gone as I am. The Seraphita seems to have decided that it's time."

It hurt to hear him say that. I really didn't want to lose Lennox. It was so hard when he'd been around almost constantly, even if it hadn't been that long. Losing him now was like losing a part of myself.

"So, this is goodbye?" I managed, feeling the tears in my eyes.

Lennox smiled as he floated over and hugged me. I tensed up for a moment, then tightly hugged him back, feeling his familiar warmth that emanated from his soul.

"I'm afraid so, but you needn't be sad. I'm going to be part of something very special now and will always be a part of you. Just take care of yourself and be sure to listen to this last thing I am able to tell you." he whispered in my ear. I remained still as he continued, keeping me in that warm embrace, "Trust in those around you, but also be wary. Those who may act opposed to redemption may be the ones who have more plans that involve it."

I wanted to ask him what he meant, but didn't get the chance. Within seconds, he'd faded away.

But as he did, I became aware of a bright light coming into my vision. The vision took on more clarity, and I realized that I saw the familiar figures of Saffron and Jade. But they weren't the same as I'd always known them.

Both of them were dressed in white and gold robes, and had brightly colored wings.

I stared in shock at the vision before me. Both Jade and Saffron were flying in the middle of what looked like a large church. I couldn't make out a lot of it, but I did see the colorful stained-glass windows around them, which illuminated them in a soft light. Saffron had four beautiful blue wings, and Jade had six emerald wings that matched his eyes perfectly. Both of them floated high in the air, and I could sense incredible power coming from them. Only this power wasn't dark. It felt pure.

The two moved closer, each reaching out and touching their right palms together. Then they leaned forward to touch their foreheads as well. It felt like they were forming some kind of eternal bond between them with these motions, but there was something that felt forbidden about this too. This wasn't a connection that was being formed for love. At least, not in the normal sense. It almost felt like they were trying to merge themselves together in a bond of consciousness that would make them stronger and transcend their holy powers.

All at once, the two were suddenly wrenched apart by golden chains that appeared out of nowhere and wrapped around their waists and wings. These chains threw them down to the marble floor below. As the chains disappeared, their wings became engulfed in black fire which burned off their beautiful feathers. Only one set remained on each of their backs as the extra wings were burned away, turning to black ash on the ground beneath them. I could hear the cries of agony from them as the black fire engulfed them completely. I tried to take a step forward as I saw this, but I was blocked by what felt like an invisible wall.

Putting my hands against it, I watched in horror as the two continued to burn deep within these black flames. It lasted for what seemed like forever. Then, finally, the flames began to die down. As they did, I realized that the two were now standing where the flames had been. But both Saffron and Jade were no longer the radiant beings that they had once been. They now stood with the black, batlike wings that I'd always known them to have, and their eyes reflected the darkness that had now invaded them.

As they stood there, I could see a dark mass engulfing the entire floor. The smell of sulfur and brimstone invaded my senses. I realized what this was as a gust of bitter cold wind blew around me. This vision was not of something to come. It was of when Saffron and Jade had fallen from grace, joining the many others in the Abyss.

But before I could see anymore, the vision faded away, and I was waking up. I laid still in the bed, trying to regain my bearings in the dim light of the morning. My eyes finally focused and I noticed a tall figure standing near the left side of the bed, looking into the long stand-alone mirror there. It took me a moment to register this figure as Chris.

I slowly sat up and watched him as he stood there. He had his shirt off and seemed to be looking over his shoulder at his back in the mirror. The morning shadows being cast in the room accentuated his toned upper body.

"Are you okay?" I asked him after of moment of sitting there and taking him in.

Chris tensed up, then realized that it was just me, "Sorry. I didn't realize you'd woken up." he apologized.

"I guess you could call it that." I yawned, moving to the side of the bed and looking down at the bulge of my stomach. It didn't look any bigger than when I'd gone to sleep. I was glad of that. I didn't like thinking about how big I was going to get before this was over.

Chris came over and knelt in front of me, "How are you feeling?" he asked as he held my hands.

"I'm alright, but I don't think that Lennox is here anymore. He told me last night that the Seraphita was taking him." I admitted.

I felt sad as I said it. Even though I knew that he wasn't gone for good, it still hurt to say goodbye to him as he'd been.

"It'll be alright. It's not like we're losing him forever. But we sure as hell could've used his abilities for a little bit longer. I'm not that sure that I'm ready to trust anyone here yet." Chris admitted.

He laid his head against my pregnant belly and let out a long breath. This was another habit that he was starting to fall into. He'd admitted to me that he really liked being able to listen to the baby move, especially when he felt nervous about things. It gave him a lot of comfort.

I gently ran my fingers through his hair, "I know it's hard, but I don't think we have to worry about those Seraphs or their Nephilim. I don't think we have to worry about Saffron either. When I saw him last night, he showed me that his wings had changed some. They actually have dark blue feathers in them now." I told him.

Chris looked up at me, "His wings are changing?" he said in quiet disbelief.

"Yeah. I saw it myself, and he said something about it being from the Seraphita." I explained.

Chris slowly stood up, "I think I need to show you something."

He brought out his wings, but they weren't the same as they had been the day before. Instead of having black feathers, they were now emerald colored. I was instantly reminded of my dream vision of Jade. He'd had wings like that before he'd fallen.

"Bring yours out. I want to see them too." Chris requested.

I agreed, standing up slowly and bringing out my own. In the nearby mirror, I could see that mine had changed too. They were no longer black. The feathers had turned blue.

"How is this...?" I started.

"I think it has to do with the purification that Micah and Carroll were talking about. These colors were probably the ones that our fathers came from. At least that's my guess." Chris explained. He let out a long breath as he looked back at his own. It was obvious that this whole thing was bothering him tremendously.

My mind flashed back to my dream. I was certain that it had been real, and it had shown me what Jade and Saffron were before. I had to mention it.

"They were their colors. I saw them in a dream last night."

This immediately got Chris's full attention, "What kind of dream?"

He had come to know by then that my dreams tended to contain visions both of the past and the future. I could even pick up visions of someone's past just by being around them. But Saffron and Jade were always able to keep me from doing so for the most part. My visions of them and their past had always been limited.

I took a deep breath as I tried to figure out the best way to explain, "It was really weird. Like I said, Lennox came and said goodbye to me, and he said something about the ones that were wanting the redemption the most had their own plans with it. Then I suddenly saw this other vision after he faded away. I saw Jade and Saffron floating in this church, and they were Heavenly Angels. Jade had six green wings and Saffron had four blue wings." I explained.

Chris nodded as I said this, "It sounds about right. Jade did mention to me a long time ago in passing that he'd once had six wings, but I wasn't that sure of whether I believed him. He's always had this tendency to mix lies with the truth. But back to this vision. What happened when you saw this?"

I slowly sat down on the side of the bed, "It was really strange. They were floating there and then they reached over and put their hands together. After that they moved closer and were touching their foreheads too. It was almost like they were doing it to merge themselves or something, but it also felt like they weren't supposed to be doing it. When they did, there were these golden chains that flew out and grabbed them and threw them to the floor. Then they burned in this black fire that burned off their feathers and extra wings. It completely burned them up, and when the fire began going out, they were standing and looking like they do now." I went on.

Our room was very quiet as I finished. I could tell that Chris was thinking over what I'd just told him.

"A lot of it makes sense now. No matter what they say, I've always heard that they were thrown out together. Maybe that's why they keep coming back to each other. They really do have some kind of connection that they'd made back in the Heavens, one that they can never undo." he reasoned.

"But why did they make that weird connection in the first place? It seems like that was what got them thrown out." I noted.

"I don't know, but I'm sure that it wasn't the only thing. I don't really doubt that both of them were killers up there too before they got caught. Maybe they even worked together in doing what they did, and this connection thing was going to make them a lot stronger to fight the other Angels. At least, that's my guess. I doubt that we'll ever know the truth about all of it." Chris replied.

I stood up and hugged him. He seemed surprised but hugged me back.

"I know this is a lot, but I think it's what the Seraphita needs to do. He needs us to know some of the truth." I told him.

"Maybe." Chris agreed, "And if Saffron's wings are changing, then it's possible that Jade's are too."

"You haven't seen him?" I asked as I pulled back a little bit to face him.

"No. He hasn't come back around yet, but I think that he probably will. He's never been able to stay away that long, even with all of this." Chris responded. He looked down at my belly, laying a hand on it, "But I am wondering how long's left with all of this. It seems like this kid's growing pretty fast."

"Are you worried?" I had to ask, laying a hand over his.

"Not really. It'll be kind of nice to see them quicker, although I'm hoping that we're not going to have too much trouble when they're born." Chris replied.

I shook my head as I thought about that, "No one seems to know what might be coming, but I won't let them hurt him."

"We won't, and I'll die before I let anything happen to him or you."

I smiled at him, "I know. But you'd better not die. I don't want him not being able to know you."

"No, I don't want that to happen either. But you know, they could still be wrong about this kid being a boy." Chris teased.

"You really think so?" I asked, pulling back from him to look out of the nearby window at the front yard and woods.

"Probably not, but it would be entertaining if they were. Personally, I'd like to think that he is a boy." Chris went on as he stepped over beside me.

"Of course you would. Most guys would want a son." I countered.

The outside seemed quiet enough. The sunlight was coming through the nearby trees, and the shadows danced with the sway of the leaves. I could see two large shapes moving around by the woods. I realized that it was two animals. They looked like a red fox and a silver fox. The silver one glanced up at us, then both turned and went back into the woods.

Chris crossed his arms, "So that's what they meant with Sevee Renaldi. Interesting. I didn't think that a Nephilim and Fox combination could still do that." he commented.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, feeling lost now.

"That was Sevee and Sean down there. Because Sevee's mixed with a fox from the other side of the Veil, he also has the ability to transform into a full fox. I'd heard Carroll talking about it before, but I didn't know exactly what he'd meant. Some of them only get the ears, tail and eyes." Chris explained.

"What do you think they were doing out there?" I asked.

"Probably keeping watch for trouble. Kinsley mentioned last night that Saffron caught a spy out there, but if he was there, another could also try to come in and sneak up on us. Foxes like Sean and Sevee would probably be able to sniff them out quicker." Chris answered.

"You really think that another will try to come here after us?" I asked.

"I know they will." Chris confirmed, "And when they do, we'll be ready to get rid of them."